Sunday, March 31, 2013
The Soundies #6
There are very few soundies featuring country blues singers. This 16 minute film, Low Light and Blue Smoke, was directed by Jean Delire in 1956. Big Bill Broonzy performs four songs, "When Did You Leave Heaven?," "Just a Dream," the instrumental "House Rent Stomp" and "Saturday Night Blues" in a Belgian night club. Its artistic photography won it the Silver Bear award for a short documentary at the 1957 Berlin Film Festival.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
CD Review: Maria Schneider/Dawn Upshaw, Winter Morning Walks/Carlos Drummond de Andrade Stories
Not recommended (for jazz fans)
Composer, arranger and orchestra leader Maria Schneider, in collaboration with soprano Dawn Upshaw, has
released two pieces of classical music on a single CD. Both of them
are suites of poetry set to music. Winter
Morning Walks consists of nine
poems by American poet Ted Kooser taken from his 2001 book of the
same title, performed by the Australian Chamber Orchestra. They are
accompanied by three regular members of Schneider's jazz orchestra,
Scott Robinson (clarinet), Frank Kimbrough (piano) and Jay Anderson
(bass). Carlos Drummond de Andrade Stories contains
five works by the famous Brazilian poet, performed by the Saint Paul
Chamber Orchestra. Here's a promotional video from Artist's Share that explains the
project and includes the usual appeal for money.
I have the greatest
respect for Maria Schneider. In fact, I regard her 2007 CD Sky
Blue as the best jazz album of the past decade. Those who are
familiar with her recent work will not be surprised that she is
expanding into the classical field. I wish she would remain a jazz
musician, but I wish her the best in this endeavor and I will support
whatever she does. Of all classical music, however, I personally
have the greatest difficulty appreciating opera. Ms. Upshaw is an
operatic soprano, which means that she sings in a formal, stilted
manner which makes it difficult to even understand these words sung
in English. (Fortunately, the liner notes contain transcriptions of the poems.) I guess you could say operatic singing is the polar
opposite of the informal, vernacular style of roots music.
These poems are all in free verse,
which means that the lines vary in length and do not rhyme.
Musically, that means you can't turn them into a song. The melodies
written for each line are not repeated, except on those occasions
when Ms. Schneider repeats verses for emphasis.
Winter Morning Walks is a pretty somber affair. The poems were written during Mr. Kooser's uncertain recovery from a cancer operation, when he was very
depressed. At one point, he writes:
My wife and I walk the cold road
in silence, asking for thirty more
years.
The
poems are about the natural world, which he expected to miss the
most. Ms. Schneider, an avid bird watcher, has chosen several poems
involving birds. They were written in 1999, and fortunately, Mr.
Kooser, born in 1939, is still alive. Check out this NPR report for
some additional information about Winter Morning Walks.
In
promoting the CD, Ms. Schneider emphasizes the presence of the three
jazz musicians, but their opportunities for improvisation are quite
limited, and their contributions do not depart much from the written
melodies. In fact, she implies in the liner notes that it will be
difficult to tell which of their parts are scripted and which are
improvised.
The
Drummond poems are said to be typically Brazilian, the common themes
being tragedy and humor. An example is “Don't Kill Yourself:”
Don't
kill yourself. Don't kill yourself.
Save all of yourself for the
wedding
though nobody knows when or if
it will ever come.
Do not
expect to hear Brazilian music. Ms. Schneider has given the
“Prologue” a Brazilian touch, but not the rest of the
compositions.
Winter Morning Walks
Tracks: Perfectly
Still This Solstice Morning; When I Switched on a Light; Walking By
Flashlight; I Saw a Dust Devil This Morning; My Wife and I Walk the
Cold Road; All Night, in Gusty Winds; Our Finch Feeder; Spring, the
Sky Rippled with Geese; How Important It Must Be. (28 min.)
Personnel:
The Australian Chamber Orchestra; Scott Robinson, alto and bass
clarinet; Frank Kimbrough, piano; Jay Anderson, bass; Dawn Upshaw,
vocals.
Carlos
Drummond de Andrade Stories
Tracks:
Prologue; The Dead in Frock Coats; Souvenir of the Ancient World;
Don't Kill Yourself; Quadrille. (24 min.)
Personnel:
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Dawn Upshaw, vocals.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
R&B Vocal Group Deaths
Jerome Ramos (1937-2012)
Jerome “Romeo” Ramos, lead singer
of the Velours, died on October 21 of throat cancer at the age of 75.
Jerome Ramos was born on May 15, 1937.
He formed the Velours when he was 19, along with John Cheatdom,
Donald Haywoode, Kenneth Walker and Marvin Holland, all friends from
the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Their first
recording was “My Love, Come Back” on the Onyx label in 1956. It
was followed by “Romeo,” which was also Ramos's nickname. In 1957,
Walker and Holland were replaced by John Pearson and Charles Moffitt.
Their third record, “Can I Come Over Tonight?” was a hit on both
the R&B and pop charts.
They had three more releases on Onyx,
including “This Could Be the Night” and “Remember.” They
also recorded for Cub, End and Goldisc. They continued to perform
into the '70s, changing their name to the Fantastics. Mr. Ramos
retired from singing in 1975 and lived the rest of his life in Brooklyn.
In May 2007, Ramos, along with
Cheatdom, Haywoode, Pearson, and Keith Williams, performed “Can I
Come Over Tonight?” for one of T. J. Lubinsky's PBS programs. It was
his first performance in 32 years, and also his last. Although the
fidelity isn't great, here it is.
The Velours' 12 great Onyx sides can be
found on Relic Records' now out-of-print CD, The Golden Era of
Doo-Wops: Onyx Records.
Gregory Carroll (1928-2013)
Gregory Carroll was a founding member
of the Four Buddies. He also sang with the Orioles, the Dappers and
the Ink Spots. He died on January 24 at the age of 84.
The Four Buddies were from northwest
Baltimore, the cradle of R&B vocal
group harmony. The group consisted of Larry Harrison, lead tenor;
Gregory Carroll, second tenor; Bert Palmer, baritone; and Tommy
Carter, bass. Their first recording was in 1950 as a backup group
for Little Esther on “Just Can't Get Free,” as the
Metronomes. They continued to record for Savoy, changing their name to the Four Buddies.
Their first release, “I Will Wait,” backed with "Just to See You Smile Again," went to #3 on the R&B
charts in early 1951. They recorded 26 sides in all for Savoy,
including great ballads such as “Sweet Slumber,” “Heart and
Soul,” and “What's the Matter With Me?” These can be found on
the out-of-print CD The Four Buddies: Complete on Savoy
on the Savoy Jazz label.
In May 1953, Carroll left the Four
Buddies to become a replacement member of Baltimore's most successful
group, Sonny Til and the Orioles, just in time to sing on one of their biggest
hits, “Crying in the Chapel.” When the Orioles disbanded, he formed the Dappers, who recorded
on Rainbow and Groove. He was also a member of a latter-day Ink
Spots group. Larry Harrison went on to become the lead singer of the Barons on the Decca label.
Beginning in the '60s, he concentrated
on songwriting. His biggest hit was “Just One Look,” which he
co-wrote with vocalist Doris Troy.
Darlene McCrae ( ? -2013)
Darlene McCrae, a founding member of
both the Cookies and the Raelets, died on February 5.
She grew up in the Coney Island section
of Brooklyn, NY, and formed the Cookies in 1964 with Dorothy Jones
and Beulah Robertson. They placed third at a weekly amateur
night at the Apollo Theatre and came to the attention of Lamp
Records, a subsidiary of Aladdin. Their only release on Lamp was
“Don't Let Go.” In 1955, they signed with Atlantic Records. The
second of their three Atlantic releases, “In Paradise,” made the
R&B charts in early 1956. Prior to their final record, Beulah
Robertson was replaced by Margie Hendrix, who became the lead singer.
While at Atlantic, the Cookies sang
backup vocals for several of their single artists, including LaVern Baker, Ruth Brown, Joe Turner, Chuck Willis,
and especially Ray Charles. After several successful recordings, Ray invited them to become permanent members of his band.
Dorothy Jones left the group, but was replaced by two others. Here
are the original Raelets accompanying Ray on “Hit the Road, Jack.”
They are, from left to right, Pat Lyles, Margie Hendrix, Gwen Berry
and Darlene McCrae.
“Night Time is the Right Time” from
1958 is my favorite Cookies/Raelets recording. It was written and
recorded by Roosevelt Sykes in 1937, but Ray's version takes after a
1957 remake by Nappy Brown. Margie Hendrix faces off against Brother
Ray and comes out a winner.
Margie Hendrix and Darlene McCrae left
the Raelets around 1964, and thereafter, the membership changed
frequently. Ms. Hendrix, who had been romantically involved with
Ray Charles for several years, died of a drug overdose in 1966. In
1962, Dorothy Jones reformed the Cookies along with Darlene's
sister, Earl-Jean McCrae and Margaret Ross. Three of their songs
made the R&B charts, the most successful being “Don't Say
Nothin' Bad About My Baby.” Darlene McCrae replaced her sister in
1965, and the Cookies' last record was released in 1967.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
The Soundies #5
Here's a soundie from April 20, 1942, by Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra, "Swingin' on Nothing." The vocal is by Velma Middleton and trombonist George Washington. It features a break dancing routine by Ms. Middleton that will leave you speechless.
Personnel: Louis Armstrong, Frank Galbreath, Shelton Hemphill, Bernard Flood, trumpets; George Washington, James Whitney, Henderson Chambers, trombones; Rupert Cole, Carl Frye, alto saxophones; Prince Robinson, Joe Garland, tenor saxophones; Luis Russell, piano; Lawrence Lucie, guitar; John Simmons, bass; Sid Catlett, drums.
Personnel: Louis Armstrong, Frank Galbreath, Shelton Hemphill, Bernard Flood, trumpets; George Washington, James Whitney, Henderson Chambers, trombones; Rupert Cole, Carl Frye, alto saxophones; Prince Robinson, Joe Garland, tenor saxophones; Luis Russell, piano; Lawrence Lucie, guitar; John Simmons, bass; Sid Catlett, drums.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
CD Review: Aaron Neville, My True Story
Highly recommended.
Aaron Neville is one of the all-time
great soul singers, so any new CD by him is welcome news. This
time, he's gone back to his roots, recording 13 vocal group classics
from the '50s and early '60s. My True Story can be seen as a
companion to his 2006 CD, Bring It on Home: The Soul Classics,
which I also highly recommend. The songs on this CD are, on average,
about ten years older. The more important difference is that he
recorded this album with a vocal group headed by Eugene Pitt, former
lead singer of the Jive Five and author of the title song. The other
group members are veteran performers at oldies shows in the New York
area. This is the genre in which Neville started his own career in
the early '60s.
There's a lot of background
information on this “Making of . . .” video from Blue Note
Records, so I won't repeat it.
Here's another look at some of the
songs on the CD in a promo for a PBS program that Aaron and the group
made which was shown here in Pittsburgh—unfortunately, during one
of their begathons. I should note, however, that neither Paul Simon
nor Joan Osborne are on the CD. Elder brother Charles Neville,
visible on this video, also does not play on the CD.
Aaron Neville has said that Clyde McPhatter was his role model when he started to sing. That's evident on many of his recordings. This CD includes five Drifters' songs from all phases of their long and tangled career. There is “Money Honey” by the original Clyde McPhatter group, “Ruby Baby” from their middle period when they were trying out various McPhatter sound-alikes, and the medley “This Magic Moment”/“True Love” and “Under the Boardwalk,” from after their 1959 makeover when Ben E. King took the lead chair. The other songs were originally performed by groups such as the Clovers, the Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, and the Hollywood Flames (“Little Bitty Pretty One,” where they were billed as “Bobby Day and the Satellites”). There are two '60s songs by the Ronettes and Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions. There is one cut without the group—“Goodnight, My Love,” by Jesse Belvin. Finally, here's the full-length version of “Tears on My Pillow,” originally recorded by Little
Anthony and the Imperials.
When reminiscing on the video, Aaron
mentions the Moonglows, the Flamingos and the Spaniels. It would be
great to hear his take on these Chicago-style groups. They are
perfect for his falsetto vocals. But there are no songs by these groups
on the CD. Another personal objection: The album misses a great opportunity to introduce listeners to some of
the many great-but-obscure vocal group sides that I'm sure he knows about.
The emphasis here is on recognizable titles. They do mention,
however, that they laid down 23 tracks during the session. Since
only 12 of them were used on this CD, does this mean a second volume
may be in the works?
My criterion of whether it's worthwhile
to remake a song is whether it improves on the original version. By
that standard, my verdict is mixed. Neville's voice is better than
some of the original vocalists. Although he uses some
of his typical vocal mannerisms, his singing here is surprisingly
restrained. On “Work With Me, Annie,” he is almost lost in the
mix. The same restraint is shown by the musicians. You would never
know that Keith Richards is the lead guitarist without the liner
notes. There are no honking and screaming tenor sax solos; in fact,
there is only one saxophone break on the whole CD (on “Ting-a-Ling”).
They don't stretch out any of these songs either. Most are about
the same length as the originals. The entire CD is only 39 minutes
long.
In spite of these reservations
which keep it from being a classic, this CD is probably the best news
for fans of '50s R&B vocal groups in at least a decade. If you
have any interest this genre, you should grab it right away. It's a
fun CD that won't wear out its welcome.
Tracks: Money Honey; My True Story; Ruby Baby; Gypsy Woman, Ting-a-Ling; Be My Baby; Little Bitty Pretty One; Tears on My Pillow; Under the Boardwalk; Work With Me, Annie; Medley: This Magic Moment/True Love; Goodnight, My Love. (39 min.)
Personnel: Aaron Neville, vocals; Eugene Pitt, Bobby Jay, Joel Katz, Earl Smith, Jr., David Johnson, background vocals (11 tracks); Lenny Pickett, tenor saxophone, flute (5 tracks); Keith Richards, Greg Leisz, guitars; Benmont Tench, keyboards (11 tracks); Art Neville, Hammond B-3 organ (1 track); Tony Scherr, bass; George G. Receli, drums.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
The Soundies #4
This 1936 musical short is longer than a typical soundie. The Jimmie Lunceford Band was known for their tight ensemble playing and choreography. The two principal songs are their biggest hit, "Rhythm is Our Business," and "Nagasaki." The vocal on "Rhythm" is by Willie Smith, but I'm not sure who sings "Nagasaki." The two primary soloists are Joe Thomas, tenor saxophone, and (I think) Paul Webster, trumpet. Joe Thomas went on to have a second career as an R&B tenor sax man in the '50s. Also featured is an enthusiastic vocal by Myra Johnson and tap dancing by the Three Brown Jacks.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
CD Review: Wayne Shorter, Without a Net
Recommended
Wayne Shorter is one of
jazz's acknowledged masters as a tenor and soprano saxophone player
and as a composer. His recordings with Art Blakey and the Jazz
Messengers, the Miles Davis' second great Quintet, Weather Report,
and several of his nine previous Blue Note albums belong in every
jazz fan's collection. He is 79 and is obviously in terrific shape.
Anything he does is worthy of our attention and respect. On the
other hand:
- This is his fourth CD all or part of which features his current quartet of pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade. I have liked each one slightly less.
- My three favorites on this CD are “Orbits,” “Plaza Real,” and “S. S. Golden Mean,” all remakes of songs he has previously recorded. (The latter is the same tune as “Adventures Aboard the Golden Mean,” from his Beyond the Sound Barrier CD.)
These observations could mean that it
requires repeated listening for Shorter's music to be appreciated.
But maybe not.
This is his first album in slightly
over seven years. The songs were recorded live, although with one
exception the dates and locations of the performances are not
identified. Like Joe Lovano's Us Five, Shorter and
his group are exploring “free” (relatively unstructured) jazz.
Hence, the risk-taking metaphor in the title of the album. (Half the
album's titles make direct or indirect reference to flying.) Of
course, if you're up there without a net, you have to be very sure
that everything is under control.
A lot of this music could be described
as bombastic. Both Perez and Patitucci play their acoustic
instruments in a very percussive style much of the time, and Blade
frequently punctuates the music with loud explosions. Most
importantly, several of Shorter's solos are climaxed by a series
of exclamations. Since he plays the soprano sax most of the time,
they could alternately be described as squeals, shrieks or screams.
Five of the nine cuts had solos on which I thought he was
overblowing. It's great that Shorter has this much energy, but I
found the album difficult to listen to straight through. To be fair, however, the solos which I
found to be most over the top were the very ones that received the
most enthusiastic audience responses.
This CD contains only one new
and beautiful melody of the type we typically associate with Shorter. The
centerpiece of the CD is a 23-minute semi-classical composition,
“Pegasus.” The melody is calmly and beautifully stated by a
five-piece woodwind quintet, with Shorter sometimes joining them on
soprano. But as the piece progresses, both the tempo and the volume
increase, and there's a great deal of sturm und drang before they
return to the opening theme.
There's a lot to like about this album.
“A Starry Night” starts out as a series of instrumental sound
effects suggested by the title, until things start building to
another crescendo. The final two pieces, "Zero Gravity to the 10th Power" and "(The Notes) Unidentified Flying Objects," with composition credit
given to the entire band, are prototypical examples of collective
improvisation.
The only standard on the album, “Flying
Down to Rio,” is a disappointment. The opening few choruses, while
surprisingly slow, promise some relief from the general atmosphere of
stress. But at almost 13 minutes, it ultimately turns out
to be the most chaotic piece on the CD.
Wayne Shorter has earned the right to
take these risks, and I fully expect to come to appreciate some of
these performances more with time. Shorter fans will want to hear
what he has to say. But if I were drawing up a list of great Shorter
CDs, this one would not be near the top.
As part of the promotion for Without
a Net, Blue Note Records
released a six-part interview—total length, about an hour—of
Wayne Shorter conducted by Joe Lovano. I found his stories about
Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and other great jazz musicians to be
fascinating. It's also interesting to listen to these two bright men
attempting to talk about their music. The two of them are on a very
similar journey. But it's not easy to talk about jazz. Here's Part 1. You can follow the links to the other five parts.
Tracks:
Orbits; Starry Night; S. S. Golden Mean; Plaza Real; Myrrh; Pegasus;
Flying Down to Rio; Zero Gravity to the 10th
Power; (The Notes) Unidentified Flying Objects. (77 min.)
Personnel: Wayne Shorter, soprano and tenor saxophones; Danilo Perez, piano; John Patitucci, bass; Brian Blade, drums; The Imani Winds, bassoon, clarinet, flute, French horn and oboe (1 cut).
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
CD Review: Raphael Wressnig and Alex Schultz, Soul Gift
Not recommended.
Raphael Wressnig is an Austrian Hammond
B3 organist and his partner, Alex Schultz, is an American guitarist.
They have a small band whose instrumentation and repetoire is
reminiscent of Booker T. and the M. G.'s. This album, their second
on the ZYX label, is a time capsule of '60s soul music. Three of the
fourteen cuts feature vocals; the rest are instrumental. Three of
those instrumentals are originals; the rest are covers. Two of the
covers are of Booker T. tunes. Here's a promo for the CD.
The three vocals feature guest
appearances by Deitra Farr and Tab Robinson. (Schultz is a regular member of Robinson's backup band.) Mr. Robinson's version of the
Bessie Banks soul ballad “Go Now” is the highlight of the CD.
Once again, he shows himself to be one of our most accomplished soul
balladeers. (I couldn't find a free copy in the internet, but you
might consider downloading it, while ignoring the rest of the CD.)
Ms. Farr does Billy Preston's “All That I've Got,” and she and Robinson duet on Ashford and Simpson's “Ain't Nothing Like the Real
Thing,” originally recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
Neither of these improve on the original versions. Guitarist Kirk Fletcher and tenor sax man Gordon Beadle ("Sax Gordon") also make brief appearances.
A couple of the instrumentals reward repeated listening. Their version of Booker T. Jones and Steve
Cropper's “Soul Dressing” establishes a nice groove. My personal
favorite is Joe Zawinul's “Money in the Pocket,” which he
recorded with Cannonball Adderley, and which includes solos by Gordon and trumpeter Eric Bloom.
On the other hand, their instrumental
versions of “Wichita Lineman” and “A Change is Gonna Come” might double as sedatives. The rest, including their three originals, would make excellent background music while you're cleaning the house.
This 2012 CD was literally a soul gift.
I received it as a premium for renewing my membership in the Blues
Foundation. Presumably, someone had a few boxes of unsold CDs lying
around.
Tracks: All That I've Got; Soul Dressing; Double Bubble; Go Now; Pigmy; Tasty Dish; Cold Beer; Same Old Blues; Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing; Casio Slim; Jellybread; Wichita Lineman; Money in the Pocket; A Change is Gonna Come. (60 min.)
Personnel: Rafael Wressnig, Hammond B3 organ; Alex Schultz, guitar; Kirk Fletcher, guitar (1 track); Eric Bloom, trumpet (5 tracks); Gordon Beadle, saxophones (5 tracks); Silvio Berger, drums (9 tracks); Lukas Knofler, drums (5 tracks); Luis Ribeiro, percussion (2 tracks); Deitra Farr, vocals (2 tracks); Tad Robinson, vocals (2 tracks).
Tracks: All That I've Got; Soul Dressing; Double Bubble; Go Now; Pigmy; Tasty Dish; Cold Beer; Same Old Blues; Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing; Casio Slim; Jellybread; Wichita Lineman; Money in the Pocket; A Change is Gonna Come. (60 min.)
Personnel: Rafael Wressnig, Hammond B3 organ; Alex Schultz, guitar; Kirk Fletcher, guitar (1 track); Eric Bloom, trumpet (5 tracks); Gordon Beadle, saxophones (5 tracks); Silvio Berger, drums (9 tracks); Lukas Knofler, drums (5 tracks); Luis Ribeiro, percussion (2 tracks); Deitra Farr, vocals (2 tracks); Tad Robinson, vocals (2 tracks).
Saturday, March 9, 2013
The Soundies #3
Here's an unusual color soundie—Sarah
Vaughan singing “The Nearness of You.” It's from MCMLI.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Bobby Rogers (1940-2013)
Bobby Rogers, an original member of the
Miracles, died on March 3 in Southfield, Michigan, of complications
from diabetes. He was 73 and also suffered from dementia. He is
remembered as the group's most talkative and friendly member.
By coincidence, he was born in the same
hospital on the same day as the Miracles' lead singer, Smokey
Robinson. They formed the group in 1955 while they were at Northern
High School in Detroit. The group was originally called the Five Chimes,
then the Matadors. When they began to record, the group
consisted of Smokey Robinson, lead tenor; Bobby Rogers, tenor; Ronnie
White, baritone; Pete Moore, bass; and Claudette Rogers, Bobby's
cousin, whose voice soared above the others. Smokey married
Claudette in 1958 and she retired in 1964.
As the story goes, they auditioned for
Jackie Wilson's manager, Nat Tarnapol, who rejected them. Berry
Gordy, then a songwriter for Wilson, was also present and became
their manager. Their first recording, “Got a Job,” an answer to
the Silhouettes' “Get a Job,” was released on End in
1958. They also recorded briefly for Chess, until Gordy started up
his Motown family of labels. Their second recording for Tamla (named
for Gordy's daughter) was “Shop Around,” which hit #1 on the R&B
charts. They had 39 records that made the charts with Smokey
Robinson, and another five after he left the group. Their other #1
songs were “You've Really Got a Hold on Me,” “I Second That
Emotion,” and “The Tears of a Clown.” (“The Tracks of My
Tears” only made it to #2.)
Here's some footage of the
Miracles from 1964. Bobby Rogers is the tallest member.
Although Smokey Robinson sang almost
all their leads, here is a rare instance in which Bobby Rogers was out front.
Although Smokey Robinson was their
primary songwriter, Bobby Rogers was co-author of some of their
songs, such as “Going to a Go-Go,” and he and Robinson co-wrote
“The Way You Do the Things You Do” for the Temptations and “First
I Look at the Purse” for the Contours.
As time passed, Smokey Robinson's voice
came to dominate the Miracles' records and the others faded into the
background. The name was changed to “Smokey Robinson and the
Miracles” in 1967 and he left the group in 1973. Billy Griffin
replaced him as lead singer of the Miracles, but they had only modest
success. Bobby Rogers continued to perform with the group on the
oldies circuit until recently.
When Smokey Robinson was elected to the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, it was as a single artist, which
seemed particularly unjust since he had many more hits with the
Miracles than without. The situation was remedied in 2012 when the
rest of the Miracles were inducted. Bobby Rogers was by that time
too ill to attend.
You may find this clip mildly
interesting. Bobby Rogers is interviewed by a man named Tom Meros in
2010. Unfortunately, Meros totally dominates the conversation.
However, you do get a look at the exterior and interior of the
original Motown studio.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
CD Review: Jack McVea, Rarely Was Honkin' Sax So Much Fun (4 CD Set)
Highly recommended
Back in the '40s, there was no bright
line between jazz and rhythm and blues. Both genres were classified
as “race music.” You could pick up an Ivory Joe Hunter record on
King and hear an alto sax solo by Johnny Hodges on the break. One
musician who frequently recorded in both genres was tenor and alto
sax man Jack McVea. He was well enough respected in the jazz
community to play with Norman Granz's first Jazz at the Philharmonic
band, yet over time, his career veered more and more toward R&B.
For the first decade after World War II, he was an important figure
on the Central Avenue night club scene in Los Angeles. Sadly, his
contributions are not as well remembered as they should be.
McVea was born in 1914. His father was
a bandleader (Satchel McVea's Howdy Entertainers), and he learned to
play several instruments. He played alto with Lionel Hampton's first
band from 1940-1943, and was present on their seminal recording of
“Flying Home.” He recorded with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie
Parker, and backed up important blues artists such as Wynonie Harris
and T-Bone Walker.
The first three volumes of this four CD
box set on the British JSP label cover McVea's entire recorded output
under his own name from 1944 through 1948, on the Rhythm, Melodisc,
Apollo, Black and White, and Exclusive labels—73 cuts in all.
There are also two choice
Apollo tracks by his primary vocalist Rabon Tarrant with a band
headed by Lucky Thompson (but without McVea). Finally, the last CD
is completely McVea-less, consisting of vocals by LA blues shouters
George “The Blues Man” Vann (22 tracks) and Alton Redd (four
tracks).
About two-thirds of McVea's records are
vocals, the majority by his drummer and sidekick Rabon Tarrant
(blues), Cappy Oliver and Sammy Yates (novelties), and Arthur Duncan
(ballads). His early instrumentals are a mixture of swing, boogie
woogie and bebop. Toward the end of the decade, he anticipates the
honking and shouting style of '50s R&B.
McVea's fifteen minutes of fame came in
1946, when he and Tarrant recorded a version of vaudeville comedian
Dusty Fletcher's routine, “Open the Door, Richard.” The record
is little more than a drunk-sounding man banging on a door and
shouting the title, alternating with a simple vocal chorus by the
band. The dialogue is vague enough to permit speculation about what
it “really means.” (One theory is that it alluded to Black
demands for integration.) There were many cover versions by folks
such as Count Basie and Louis Jordan, but McVea's original version
went to #2 on the R&B charts. Unfortunately, McVea became
involved in a lengthy copyright suit brought by Fletcher and
eventually lost most of his royalties. After the success of
“Richard,” he made several other attempts at comedy.
McVea's only other significant
recordings were made for the Combo label in 1954-1957. They can be
found on the Ace CD Fortissimo.
Like many other R&B pioneers, he faded from view in the '50s,
and was replaced by the younger performers that teenage consumers
preferred. After a brief retirement from the music business, McVea
receive a call in 1966 saying that Disneyland was looking for a
clarinet player. Although he hadn't played the clarinet in years, he
rehearsed a few tunes was hired as part of a three-man dixieland band
that strolled around the park. He held that job for 25 years, and
died of cancer in 2000 at the age of 86.
It's hard not to like Jack McVea. He
was a great showman, and as the title of the set suggests, this is
good time music. He kept his ear to the ground and integrated the
latest musical trends into his act. Many of these songs are covers,
including “Flying Home,” Benny Carter's “O-Kay For Baby,” and
Louis Jordan songs like “Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying” and
“Inflation Blues.” One of his earlier jazz instrumentals is an
excellent version of “Don't Blame Me” that is reminiscent of
Coleman Hawkins' “Body and Soul.” Among his later rockers is a
spirited tune, “Jack Frost,” that shows that he could make his
tenor sax scream with the best of them, albeit with more restraint
than some later tenor men.
His jump blues were competitive with
those of contemporaries like Jordan, Tiny Bradshaw, Joe Liggins and
Roy Milton. Another highlight is the original version of “Blues
With a Feeling,” with vocal by Tarrant and McVea on alto. The song later become one
of Little Walter's best known recordings (for which Chess mistakenly
gave Walter composer credit).
The fourth CD is a bit of a let-down.
The 22 tracks by Vann, backed by various small groups, are probably
his entire output during the '40s. He starts out quite strongly, but
his songs—mostly slow blues—eventually become repetitive.
Finally, the Redd vocals are the first four of 15 sides I found in
his discography. I didn't particularly want to hear more.
Coincidentally, like Rabon Tarrant, Vann and Redd were both singing
drummers.
The main reason I have not deemed this
set an essential purchase is that there is quite a bit of filler on
these four CDs. Some of Duncan's ballads are truly dismal. In spite
of Tarrant's excellent singing, his slow blues are quite similar.
McVea recorded a number of boogie woogie instrumentals fronted by
pianists such as Bob Mosely, Lloyd Glenn and Tommy “The Crow”
Kahn. These too are largely interchangeable. Finally, some of McVea
and Tarrant's post-“Richard” comedy routines are not particularly
funny. The best of McVea's recordings would have easily fit on two
CDs, but this poses a dilemma for the set's compiler Neil Slaven. If
he had dropped a third of these tracks, we would have always wondered
what we were missing.
CD Review: Buddy Guy, Live at Legends
Recommended.
My health is
good. My fingers still work. My voice has held out. My fans
haven't left me. They accept what I offer and give back plenty love.
What else can a man want?
One week before Christmas, Silvertone
released Buddy Guy: Live at Legends,
recorded in January 2010 at Buddy's own club in Chicago and produced
by Tom Hambridge. Those of us who were waiting for the
definitive live performance album by Buddy Guy will have to wait a
bit longer.
Buddy has recorded at least five live
albums before, three of them with former sidekick Junior Wells. My
personal favorite is Live at the Checkerboard Lounge, Chicago
1979, but that's just another
way of saying that I prefer the Buddy Guy on that recording to the
Buddy of today. His most recent live effort, Live: The
Real Deal (1996), has its good
points, but I found the backup by the Saturday Night Live Band to be
awkward at times. However, I recommend it over this CD.
Recording a live
Buddy Guy performance can be a challenge. Much of the performance is
visual. He jumps abruptly from song to song, seldom completing any
of them. He varies the dynamics. (When he gets down to a whisper,
reach for your ear plugs.) He demonstrates the guitar styles of
earlier blues artists and rock musicians he has influenced. He does
his usual walk through the audience. All of this can seem spontaneous until you see him again and realize that it isn't.
The live section of
this CD is only 40 minutes long, suggesting that it was edited down
from a longer performance. He has tamed down his usual routine; for
example, he completes most of the songs, and his commentaries are
fairly brief. He gets off to a rousing start with “Best Damn
Fool.”
With the exception
of two medleys, these are all songs he's recorded before, in some
cases quite recently. His guitar work is more flashy than on the
studio versions, but not necessarily better. In a disappointing
departure from his usual live program, there are no acoustic songs in
this set. However, he does slow the pace down long enough to give us
a heavy dose of racial tolerance (“Skin Deep”). His finale turns
out to be the medleys, which as usual had me grinding my teeth.
Buddy's self-esteem seems heavily invested in the claim that he is
the missing link between the blues giants and the rock stars of the
'60s and '70s. In fact, he doesn't need to bask in the reflected
glory of Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton. The performance ends abruptly
without much applause and with no encore.
Because
the live performance is so short, the CD is filled out with three
studio cuts recorded in March 2010, probably remainders from the
sessions that produced his most recent album, Living Proof.
Two of them are slow blues, an original, “Polka Dot Love,” and a
soulful version of Muddy Waters' “Country Boy,” which I think is
the highlight of the CD. (A bit of history: At age 27, Buddy Guy
played backup guitar on the Muddy Waters LP Folk Singer,
which contains this song.) The third studio
cut is an up tempo rocker featuring the Memphis Horns.
At the age of 73
(when this CD was recorded), Buddy Guy is still one of our greatest
guitarists and is highly underrated as a singer—if he would only
just stand there, play and sing at the level of which he is capable.
If you don't have many Buddy Guy CDs, this one may turn out to be a
revelation for you. But if you have most of them already, this one
may sit on the shelf longer than the others.
Live Tracks:
Best Damn Fool; Mannish Boy; I
Just Want to Make Love to You; Skin Deep; Damn Right I Got the Blues;
Boom Boom/Strange Brew; Voodoo Chile/Sunshine of Your Love.
Studio Tracks:
Polka Dot Love; Coming For You; Country Boy. (55 min.)
Personnel
(Live): Buddy Guy, vocals,
lead guitar; Rick Hall, guitar; Marty Sammon, keyboards; Orlando
Wright, bass; Tim Austin, drums; Tom Hambridge, background vocal on
“Skin Deep.”
Personnel
(Studio): Buddy Guy, vocals,
lead guitar; David Grissom, guitar; Reese Wynans, keyboards; Marty
Sammon, keyboards (2 tracks); Michael Rhodes, bass (2 tracks); Tommy
Macdonald, bass (1 track); Tom Hambridge, drums; Memphis Horns—Wayne
Jackson, trumpet; Jack Hale, trombone; Tom McGinley, tenor saxophone
(1 track).
Sunday, March 3, 2013
The Soundies #2
This week's soundie is Fats Waller with
a 1941 version of “Ain't Misbehavin'.” According to the man who
posted it, the female vocalist is Vivian Brown, although she is
sometimes misidentified as Myra Johnson.
There is another filmed version of
“Ain't Misbehavin'” on the internet. It's not a soundie, but a
scene from the 1943 musical Stormy Weather.
That's Lena Horne, who acted in the film, seated at the table, and
the tap dancer is Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)